Network elements are managed with a server to support client data models from heterogeneous data sources. A server receives a first query for configuration data of a network element to be returned in a first model. The server determines a model type for the configuration data of the network element. When the model type is a second model that is not the first model, the server sends a second query to the network element for the configuration data to be returned in the second model and transforms the configuration data received from the network element into the first model. Additionally, the server returns the configuration data in the first model as a response to the first query.